Altenglische legenden.

12. Marienlegende Vom guten Ritter und seinem eifersüchtigen Weibe. Aus Ms. Ashmol. 61, fol. 62.

Die zwei folg. Legenden, im Katalog der Ashm. Mss. fälschlich als ein Gedicht aufgeführt, gehören demselben Dichter an und sind ohne Zweifel bedeutend älter als die Hs. Die erste ist nur im Ms. Ashm. 61 erhalten und ohne den Schluss, da nach fol. 65 ein Blatt absichtlich ausgerissen ist; die zweite findet sich ganz in Ms. Cbr. Ff V, 48 fol. 44, und theilweise, von v. 118 an, in Ms. Ashm. 61 fol. 66 (der Anfang ist mit dem vorhergehenden Blatte ausgerissen). — Die altenglischen Marienlegenden sind in späterer "dunkler" Zeit absichtlich zerstört; von der Sammlung von 42 Marien|legenden des Ms. Vernon sind nur die ersten 9 erhalten (edirt in Herrig's Archiv Bd. LVI p. 221—236); die 66 Marienlegenden Barbour's, die derselbe im Eingange seiner Legendensammlung als sein Werk nennt, sind ganz verloren; 15 Marien|legenden in Prosa, kurz skizzirt, enthält noch Ms. Lamb. 432 fol. 85 (edirt in der Anglia, 1880); ein Fragment einer Marienlegende Ms. Auchinl., ein anderes, Ms. Thornton. Altfranzösische Sammlungen finden sich in Ms. Egert. 612 und Ms. Reg. 20 B XIV (beide ver|schieden).

Lordyngys curtase & hen(d)e, Lystyns how þis tale schall ende T(hat) I wyll ȝow seyne! And if ȝe wyll with gode wyll here, Gret gode ȝe may þer-in lere, Line 5 In hert iff ȝe (it) leyne.

I schall tell wyffe & mane How owre lady helpe cane That to hyre clepe at nede; Thare schall no-man sykerly Line 10 Do nouȝht fore owre dere lady Bot he schall haue his mede.

Thys schall I preue thorow a skyll. Herkyns, if it be ȝoure wyll Thys gest forto here, Line 15 A feyre merakyll of a knyȝht, And of hys lady feyre & bryȝht, That was hym leffe & dere.

A knyȝht wonyd here-besyde, That had I-noȝhe of gret pride Line 20 Vnto hys lyffys ende. A lady he had to hys wyffe, That he louyd as hys lyffe, Was come of nobulle kynde.

Syche a grace(!) god theme gafe, Line 25 That þei myȝht no chyld haue Off all a VII ȝere. Therefore þe knyȝht & hys lady Both þei were full sory And changyd oft þer chere. Line 30

Neuer-þe-les þe knyȝht & hys wyffe Both þei were of gowd lyffe. To god þei made a bone: That he schuld þem some chyld sende. Jhesu Cryst, þat is so hend, Line 35 God grantyd þem well sone.

So longe to-geþer þei gane praye, That he sent them childer tweye Off þer awne blode. The knyght & hys lady wer full blythe Line 40 And thankyd god many a sythe Off hys sonde gode.

Thus þe knyght & hys wyfe Lyued mery in clene lyffe With Joy & grete solas, Line 45 Tyll sche was with þe thyrd chylde; Welle oft þei thankyd Mary myld That sente þem þat grace.

Than þei wer both blyth & glad, Iche to oþer grete Joy made, Line 50 Both erly & late. The deuell þer-of had envy

And went aboute as a spy There trew lufe to abate.

Thus dyde þe fende, þe fowle wyght: Line 55 He was about dey & nyȝht In bale to brynge theme bothe. Bot he myght neuer be þe more In all þe tyme þer-before, Ons to make them wrothe. Line 60

Sych a maner had þe knyght In serteyne vsage, euery nyȝht Thorow þe longe ȝere In-to hys chapell forto wend, Before owre lady gode & hend Line 65 To make hys prayere.

Before oure lady suete & dere There he made hys prayere With full gode wyll. Hys lady neuer ondername Line 70 When he ȝede ne when he came, Bot ley & slepyd wyll stylle.

The fend of helle fondyd fast Iff þat he myȝht wordys cast Forto wrothe þem a-twyne. [Ms. tywyne.] Line 75 And fore hys wycked intysment Well nyȝe þei had both be schente: Herkyns, I schall ȝow seyne.

Vpon a dey, as ȝe may here, The knyȝht & his lady dere Line 80 Sate in solas, And þer feyre chylder twey Wente afore theme forto pley In þat Iche place.

The thyrd was in hyre wome I-wys. Line 85 The knyght þerof hade Joy & blysse. And hys lady þat stownd "Leff syre, seyd sche, Louyst þou any-thinge beter þan me, That owhere may be fonde?" Line 90

"Sertys, dame, he seyd, nay, In no-thinge, me neuyne may, Ine haue so grete lykynge, — Bot of a woman þat I wote I loue wele more, god it wote, Line 95 Than any erthly thynge."

"Ȝe, ȝe, þan seyd sche, Louyst þou an oþer better þan me?" And thought a lythere gyne And wend þat hyre lord thane Line 100 Had louyd some oþer womane In þe maner of synne.

Nay, be god! it was not so — It was an oþer, worth þe two, That he louyd in lede: Line 105 It was owre lady þat he mente — And els þei had both be schente At þer most nede.

The deuyll of hell wyst wele þis That hyre herte wrethyd is, Line 110 And thouȝht it schulde be more; To helle he wente with-outen feyle, At þe fendys to take coūnseylle What hym best do were. [Ms. de st. do.]

Thorow coūnsyll of þe fendys felle Line 115 The most schrewe þat wer in helle Went with-outen feylle, [Ms. schrewys.] To a wych in þe toūne he wente, [Ms. þei st. he.] That was out of þe ryȝht entente, And told hyre hys coūnsell. Line 120

"Sey, woman, þan seyd he, Wyll þou wynne gold & fe? Hast þou þer-to nede, Inowȝe I schall þe gyfe of tho, That þou of myne erande go [of st. on.] Line 125 And do als I þe rede.

To a castyll I wyll þe send, To þe lady gode & hende, Go þou now forth rathe! Sche is a party of my kyne, Line 130 Wherefore I wolde with some gynne Werne hyre of hyre skathe.

Sche is led with grete vnryght: Hyre lord aryseth euery nyght And fro hyre goth full stylle, Line 135 To an oþer woman wendys he, That he louys more than suche thre, And pleys with hyre hys fylle.

All cold he commys aȝen hyre to. Go to hyre & sey hyre so! Line 140

Line 140 No word þou schalt lye. The next nyȝht þat schall come He schall do þat he is wone: Loke þat sche aspye!

Sey hyre þat sche schew hym nouȝht — [schew = sew 178 = sue.] Line 145 So myght sche sone to deth be brouȝt; Byd hyre lye full styll! Iff þou do as I þe rede, Thow schalt haue rych mede, Of rede gold thy fylle." Line 150

"Ȝis, sche seyde, well glad am I Forto go to my lady; I schall be þer full rathe. Sche hath do me full mykyll gode; I ame full Joyfull in my mode Line 155 To werne hyre of hyre skathe."

Thorow þe deuyllus intysmente Te þe castell sche is wente, And salewyȝh þe lady þere. "Leffe madam, seyd sche, Line 160 I wolde speke a word with ȝow, Iff it ȝoure wyll were.

Comly lady gente & fre, I wold þe tell a priuyte, Iff þou me not bewrye. Line 165 Thow schall leue onne my lare; Thynge þat thow ne wyst are, Herkyns now, I schall þe sey.

Thy lord, þat thow louys so myche, He betrays þe sykerlych Line 170 And doyht þe vylony: He gose fro þe Iche nyȝht ons To a womane in hys wonys. Luke þat thow aspye!

The nex(t) nyght þat schall come Line 175 He schall do as he is wone, By hyre forto lye. Bot at þou sew hym nouȝht: So myght þou sone to deth be broȝht; Styll þat thow lye!" Line 180

The lady spake wordys no mo: "Womane, sche seyd, if it be so, Thow schall haue þi mede. Crystys cursse on þer hedys thane, The wych & hyre lorys-mane, Line 185 Fore þat ilke dede!"

The fyrst nyȝht þat after came The knyght wente to bede anone, And hys lady dere. Styll sche ley as sche slepe, Line 190 Fore þat sch(e) wolde take kepe The soth how it were.

Hyre lorde wend sche hade slepe tho, And ros vp & gane to go, Als he was bowne; Line 195 Into his chapell he gane wende, To pray to owre lady hende, That bare godys sone.

When the lady wyst þo That hyre lord was fro hyre go, Line 200 Sche seyd alas þat whyle: "Now I wote þat it is, The wydew seyd me I-wys [soth fehlt.] My lord had do me gyle.

He louys an oþer better thane me. Line 205 Alas, alas! þan seyd sche, Myne herte is full of care. The werke þat he wyrkys now It schall not fall fore hys prow, It schall hym rew full sore!" Line 210

Thus sche gane alone speke, And thouȝt how (sche) myȝht it wreke. To schend hyre-selue þat tyde, Sche drew a knyfe, soth to seyne, And slew hyre feyre chylder tweyne Line 215 That ley be hyre syde.

When sche had þis werke wroȝht, Sche seyd alas! & hyre bethouȝht, "Myne herte is full of sorow! Wyte my lorde what I haue done, Line 220 He wyll me scle ryȝht sone, That no-mane schall me borow.

Ney, þat schall not be so, Wers I schall my-selue do, What-euer þerof fall." Line 225 With a knyffe, was kene & scherpe, She smote hyre-selue to þe herte — That was werst of all!

Now was þis a rewfull syght In þat chamber þat same nyȝht, Line 230 The mane þat myȝht beholde: The lady & hyre chylder twey, In hyre wombe þe thyrd, I sey, All þei were wele colde.

The fend of hell was glad off þis, Line 235 Fore he wend wele I-wys Off theme he schuld not feyle. Bot ȝe schall here in a whyle How þat he was begyle And left all hys traueyle. Line 240

Fore þe knyȝht, as ȝe may here, Ley welle fast in hys prayere With full gode wylle. When hys prayers were a(l) done, [a st. all.] To hys chamber he went sone Line 245 Hym-selue a-lone wele stylle.

To þe bede þe knyght gane go: He fonde hys wyfe, hys chylder two, Ded þei ley there; The bede was spred with þer blode. Line 250 The knyȝht fore sorow wex ne wode And wonderyd on þat fare.

"Lady, mersy! seyd þe knyȝht, Who has ben here þis nyght And done þis rewfull dede? Line 255 Lady, helpe, I ame forelorne, Bot ȝe, þat I haue bene beforne, Helpe me at þis nede.

Thys womane hath hyre-selue schente Thorow þe fendys entysmente — Line 260 Lord, how may þis be? Iff I be takyne in þis lede, I schall be hangyd fore þis dede. Wheþer may I fle?

Thys castell is so stronge with-alle: Line 265 I ne mey owte at þe walle Nou-where a-boute Tyll to-morne, þat it be dey. Bot I may thane skape awey, Off my deth I doute." Line 270

Thus he wepyd & made wo. To owre lady he clepyd tho — In herte hade he no gamme: As he was gyltles of þat dede, He prayd here helpe hym in þat nede Line 275 And scheld hym fro schame.

To þe chapell he went in haste And prayd oure lady swyth faste Send hym of hyre grace. What fore sorow & fore wepe, Line 280 Sone he fell fast on sclepe In þat same plas.

Owre lady foregate hym no-thinge, Ne hyre sone, heuen kynge, To helpe at þat nede. — Line 285 There schall no-man sykerly [folio 65] [Ms. no no.] Do nouȝht fore owre dere lady, Bot he schall haue his mede. —

Herkyns how þe fendys felle, How þat they wente oute of hell. Line 290 So lothe þei were to tyne: A thousand wente on a raw, Fore þei wend in a throw The sawle haue to pyne.

Some were ragyd & longe-tayled, Line 295 Scharpe clawyde & longe nayled, The fendys euery-Ichon, Some had hornes grel & longe, [grel gril = sharp, horrible.] Oute of þer mouth þe fyre spronge — With-outene lake wer none. Line 300

Than þis was a grysly syght, Who-so hade sene þem þat nyȝht Come rakynge on a raw. Lystyns now & herkyns gamme, How all þer Joy was turned to schame Line 305 In a lytell throw,

Thorow þe myȝht of meyd Mary, That sche come doūne frome heuyne hy [sche ist zu tilgen.] Aȝene þe fendys felle. Sche seyd: "fendys, fle awey! Line 310 Fore here ȝe haue tyned ȝoure pray: The saule schall with me duelle."

"Ney, fore-soth, seyde Sathanas, Hyte hath hyre happyd a foule cas, Thou feylest of þi arte: Line 315 Sche slew hyre-selue with nyȝht & onde [Ms. myȝht st. nyþe.] And hyre chylder with hyre honde. Of them(!) þou hast no parte."

The quene of heuen stude full styll And sofyrd þem to sey þer wyll; Line 320 There-of sche gane smyle: "He þat lyȝht in my seruys, It schall be at hys asyse: He schall not tyne hys whyle."

The fendys cryed as þei wer wode: Line 325 "Go we hens with body & blode! No lenger wyll we duelle." Fowre thousand fendys & one [& one st. anone.] Wend to take hyre & gone With-oute lettynge to helle. Line 330

"Late be, fendys, ȝoure feleny! Wene ȝe fore-to haue mastry At ȝoure awne wyll? Fyrst we schall speke wordys mo, That schall ȝow lyke non of tho Line 335 Bot make ȝoure hertys gryll.

I congour þe, fend, þat thou me sey — That þou ne lete fore loue ne aye! — How camme þis sorow in place? And in what maner it fyrst begane; Line 340 Where that it were thorow fend or wo|mane? Tell me, or þou passe!"

"Fore-soth, lady, seyd he, It come thorow a wych & me — I may it not foresake; Line 345 Boldly I haue it wroȝht. Therefore þei schall to hell be brouȝt, [Ms. þu st. þei.] There pays forto make."

"Ney, þer me thinke þou doyst wronge, When ȝe hyre chermyd to ȝoure hond Line 350 That lyued in pese & gryȝht. Take ȝe, sche seyd, þat ȝe haue wrouȝt, And leue þat my sone hath bouȝht And delyth no-more þem wyth! [Nach 354 fehlt eine Stropfe.]

Nay, I ȝen-sey, sothly. Line 355 Whyll sche dyd þis foly, Hyre lord was my seruaunte; And thorow hyre lordys besekynge They schall haue lyfe & gode endynge Thorow my sones grante." Line 360

The fendys lowd þei gane crye And seyd: "late be þat, Mary! Hens I rede þou fle! Sche dyd it thorow a mys-chans, With-out schryft & repenta(n)s: Line 365 Oure sche schall be."

Than ansuerd þe quene Mary: "Late be þis noys & þis cry! It helpe ȝou ryȝht nouȝht. Hyre lord & sche be of a blode, Line 370 And thorow his werkys trew & gode To lyfe þei schall be brouȝht,

And ches þan at þer fre wyll, After þat they thinke skyll, To whome þei wyll þem holde: Line 375 With my sone sorto duell Or with ȝou, fendys of hell, That makys ȝou so bolde."

When þe angellus begane to se The bodys schuld on lyue be Line 380 Thorow oure ladys saw, Euery angell a deuyll hente And thyrst þem, þat there rybbys bente [thyrst = thryst.] Fore tene of þer plaw.

The fendys saw þat they hade lorne: Line 385 Euery fend had oþer torne With a mody chere. Neuer þei stynte ne blane To þei to þe wych came, And sette hyre house on fyre. Line 390

The fyre was blo as brymstone; They brake þe wychys bake-bone: Oneth on lyffe hyre lete. [oneth = vnneþe.] Hyre neyȝbors þer be-syde Dorste no lenger abyde, Line 395 Bot fled awey full sore. . . . . . [Ende fehlt.]